If Everyone Saw...

Today I was thinking about my life, as I ran. I thought about the joys I have in life and the trials I have had. It was easy for me to smile and think of my daughter and the blessing that she is. She is joyful and I can clearly see an amazing Creator's reflection in her. When I am around her with others it becomes easy for me to speak of the good things she brings and adds to my life. The good things that ultimately the Lord has brought into my life through her. After musing on this for a while I started to reflect on the things that have been more trying in my life. There have been and still are hardships and sufferings that I deal with frequently that are relentless. If you happen to be around me during a moment when these things are pressing on me you would probably find me closed off, quiet, and withdrawn. You might even find me lashing out as a final defense before I think I will crumple. As I thought and am still thinking about the way that I handle these things in my life in relation to the good things I am reminded of Job. I, in no way, believe that I am the type of person that Job was. He is a godly person that I aspire to be like, but I found myself imaging being in his shoes. We are able to look back at his life and see a purpose to it. We know the inside scoop. We feel like perhaps his trial wasn't so bad because we already know the outcome and the why. We know the story of Job's ending so the fact that he remained faithful to the Lord and didn't take his crazy wife's advice to "curse the Lord and die," seems almost easy. Now I place my life in this scenario. I imagine someone reading the book of Sarah that chronicles the events and my thoughts over the last few years and I'm sorry to say that it would be so much different and I haven't even come close to the trials that Job experienced yet still Job's responses were:

Job 1:21-“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

And

Job 2:10-"Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong."

There was a purpose to Job's life and sufferings and trials. We have reaped vast amounts of wisdom and comfort and hope from his story and will continue to until the day we see our Savior. Today I have realized that although I will never have a portion in the bible that will display my life for others to glean from I would hope that that doesn't lead me to think that there is no purpose in still blessing the Lord in times of trouble as well as in times of joy because I know even if there is no one else, there is a very small little girl who is watching me closely and someday may look back to see if there is anything she can take from my mothering that might help her. Will she see a mother who only praises and gives glory when times are easy or will she see a mother who knows that our God deserves praise even when times are rough?